Tuesday, December 4, 2012

I like to change up our mantel every year, but I do have one ingredient that MUST be there every time – big, fat, chunkaaay greenery.

Since we reworked our fireplace last fall we now have a much bigger mantel to work with. It’s just a normal size but to me it’s positively dreamy after so many years with a dinky corner fireplace.

This year I was envisioning something more natural, more subdued. I started with my greenery of course, and like always added a few more sprigs of white pine-like stuff I found at Big Lots years ago. (It’s still some of the most realistic greenery I’ve ever seen!) This just helps to chunk it up even more.

Then I added my snowy sticks and pinecones to fill in the empty spots:

I already had some pinecones, but I really got to fill ‘er up this year courtesy of little sis. She had a ton leftover from her wedding reception and I gladly took them off her hands. :) (Thanks Stink Eye!!)

Then came my very favorite part – I was browsing one of my favorite nurseries last week and came across big branches of gorgeous magnolia leaves. I fell in LOVE with the deep green side, but even more so with the soft brown sides:

I got two big branches for $4 each and just cut off the leaves and stuck them in here and there.

I rarely use pics and sticks and stuff as it comes – I always cut it down (fake and real greenery) to smaller pieces that I can use as filler. It goes SO much further that way!

Even with all the fluffiness, the mantel still needed some height, so I grabbed some of my metallic candlesticks from last year’s dining room table and placed them behind the greenery:

To make the candlesticks stand up a little higher I just cut down some wood and stuffed it behind so I could put them on top.

No, I won’t be lighting these – yikes. :) They are way too close to the wall. But I love how the metallic and green combo repeats the colors in the greenery!

I had tons of magnolia leaves left over so I used then to hot glue a quick wreath:

It covered the wreath form a lot better a few days ago – the leaves are starting to curl up a bit. :)

The wreath was incredibly easy – I just sat down with the hot glue and started sticking them on:

I have NO idea how these will hold up. At first I was hoping I might be able to keep the wreath year to year, but the leaves are already losing their deep green color. The brown side is looking good though. I’m assuming these will be toast in a few weeks. (I hope they last that long!!) But I love this look so much I may have to invest in some faux magnolia.

Either that or plant a magnolia tree. :)

I LOVE love love how it all turned out!:

It is exactly the look I had in my head! Gotta love when that happens.

It’s simple in that the colors are muted, but it’s still festive and full and IT’S SO FLUFFY:

Our sweet dog had to be in every shot…again. :)

See.

Nice blogger reflection in the glass. ;)

All together the mantel cost me about $8 for the magnolia leaves, not too shabby for a whole new look!

And it’s even prettier at night with the lights turned on!:

That soft light is one of my very favorite parts of the Christmas season. :)

For years my Mom took leaves from our Magnolia tree in the back yard (Louisville, KY), spray painted them gold and decorated the mantle at Christmas. No shriveling or curling. Lasted from Thanksgiving to New Years. Wish I had one in my backyard but Columbus OH isn't real conducive to Magnolias!

Beautiful mantel and wreath! I just magnolia leaves as well and used them in my mantel and made a garland this year. Like you, it was the first year I've used them and wasn't sure how they would last and sadly mine are drying up to :( I think I need to spritz them with water to keep them lasting until Christmas.

I have a faux magnolia leaf garland that is already a shade of antique gold that I used on my mantle this year. I added both natural and gold pinecones, then I grabbed some 2" wide cream/gold ribbon and wove it through everything from one end to the other.

I love how you used the greenery with your magnolia leaves for contrast and the candles for height. It makes such a lovely, warm display for Christmas!

I've never done it, but I read years ago about how to preserve magnolia leaves by leaving them in a mixture of glycerin and water for several weeks. You might google it up and give it a whirl. I live next door to a huge tree (and if you've ever lived by one you know what a mess they are) and have an unfortunate supply of them handy.

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I'm giggling about your little dog...it cracks me up how they like to sit in front of the camera when taking pictures. My two do the same thing only they don't pose quite as nicely as yours. I often get a big dog body but the head turned away, a wagging tail, a rear end... lol

How. Beautiful. I LOVE the fluffiness of that garland, and at night it looks so gorgeous. That soft lighting is my favorite part of this season's decor, too. How nice is it to sit in a dark room that's only lit up by the tree, the mantel, and the fire? *Sigh* Love it!

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Your mantel looks so pretty- I love the greens & browns of the magnolia leaves. I'll bet the mantel is much easier to decorate now, isn't it? I keep thinking, though, that it would be cool if that hollow space in your corner was a secret compartment you could access. I know, too much Nancy Drew growing up! :D

This is just stunning, I love the magnolia leaves. They aren't something we find here in wintery middle of Canada. Seeing your mantle all nicely decorated really makes me want a mantle. We have a gas fireplace, but it's a stove style - so there's not even a way I can fake a mantle, as the chimney gets in the way. :) So - I will just enjoy watching your mantle change from season to season.

Beautiful! I love your magnolia leaves and wreath - even the brown bits. I was in the "natural mood" as well this season. I just used evergreens, pinecones, green apples, tealights and votives and tapers in glass bottles - so mine were higher up - but I love your wood risers that you used! That's going in my memory bank.

Your dog is so adorable. I have to get a dog back in my life - I had the best dog in the world for 9 years and he passed away a few years ago right before Thanksgiving. A dog really makes a home - and a great pic by the beautiful fireplace.

We used to have a HUGE magnolia tree in our backyard. I had a love/hate relationship with that thing. I loved the shade it provided us in the heat of our Virginia summers but I absolutely hated all the raking that we had to do--nearly nine months of the year. After 4 years in that house I finally made peace with the magnolia tree when I made a simple cardboard wreath shape and hot glued the beautiful golden yellow leaves in a layered sunburst around the wreath form. All the stems were in the middle and the leaf tips pointing out. It was stunning!!! I knew the leaves would turn brown and they did.... But here we are a year later, with a lot of caution when we moved, I still have my wreath. A few leaves have broken off but otherwise, it looks beautiful still.

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